By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Luanda, 31 August 2026 African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has cited Somalia among African countries facing persistent conflicts, calling for stronger mechanisms to prevent and resolve crises.
Speaking at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Luanda, Angola, on Sunday, Youssouf said Africa needed urgent reforms to its peace and security architecture to better respond to existing and emerging threats.
He listed Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, the Sahel, Libya, northern Mozambique and Madagascar among areas facing persistent crises and worrying tensions.
“Prevention must become our priority,” Youssouf said, according to the African Union.
He said emerging threats including terrorism, violent extremism, piracy, transnational crime and the mistreatment of migrants were exacerbating security challenges across the continent.
Youssouf called for a strengthened continental early-warning system, saying prevention remained one of the African Union’s key weaknesses.
He also urged more effective implementation of decisions taken by the bloc, saying its peace and security architecture needed to be significantly reviewed.
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The AU Commission chair called for sustainable financing for African peace operations, describing the bloc’s Peace Fund as largely ineffective and saying greater resources were needed to strengthen the continent’s ability to respond to conflicts.
He also called for stronger cooperation between the African Union and regional economic communities, as well as closer coordination between the AU Peace and Security Council, member states and regional mechanisms.Youssouf said African countries needed to pool resources and strengthen solidarity in responding to terrorism and transnational crime, which he said were beyond the capacity of individual states to address alone.
On unconstitutional changes of government, he said the African Union’s position remained one of firmness based on its rules while maintaining space for dialogue and support.
The AU Commission chair also called for greater African ownership of peace and security, urging member states to strengthen the capacity of the African Union, regional organisations and other mechanisms.
He said the United Nations should fully play its role in maintaining international peace and security, while calling for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719, which concerns financing support for African Union-led peace support operations.
The summit in Luanda was convened to assess the effectiveness of existing African mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflicts and to consider reforms to the continent’s peace and security architecture.